For most people, Saturday mornings are a time for chores or relaxation. But for photographer Kai Eason, Saturday mornings are spent in local coffee shops, shooting a series of film photography portraits called “The Coffee Shop Sessions.”
Kai Eason is a passionate film photographer living in Richmond, Virginia. I have been following his work for a while as he is constantly experimenting with new cameras, lenses and processing techniques. I’m always curious about what his next photo will be like. He is a photographer who is unproblematic in his ways and is always experimenting and trying new things.
Recently, a series of portrait films called “The Coffee Shop Sessions” that he was working on caught my attention. It’s a series of 100 film portraits that Kai worked on over a year, all taken at local cafes.
However, for Kai, this series is about more than just photos. As he says, “We live in a world where the majority of our interactions are done via social media, and it’s nice to get up and have a real conversation with someone. Photos are so important But not the most important part of the whole thing is getting to know someone, having a conversation and creating a connection that goes beyond photography.”
Kai wanted to develop a portrait series and found inspiration in coffee shops as a source of connection, community and gathering. The first coffee shop session happened on a whim in January 2023. He didn’t expect much from its results, but word started to spread and interest began to grow. People wanted to be a part of it, proving Kai’s original intentions for the project were right – we all craved connection and wanted to feel part of something.
With Kai’s Coffee Shop Sessions, connection and conversation come first, and photos come second. Each session begins by walking into a local coffee shop, sitting down for a cup of coffee and chatting.
The importance of the photos for me is to create a realistic environment and realistic photos. You don’t have to be perfect. I want you to not show up with makeup and overdressed. I really want to take pictures of you. I want to capture who you are and I want you to relax.
With authenticity as the main goal, the photo shoot only took place after about an hour of solid conversation.
We’ll talk about what’s going on in life or what we’ve been through. A lot of times you notice similarities in things we’ve been through, things we’re going through, or things we’re about to go through.
For Kai, it’s just as important for him to make himself vulnerable in these moments of connection as it is for his partner. Kai believes that once you are on the same level as someone like that, it creates a sense of comfort and allows people to truly relax and be themselves in front of the camera.
I find this to be true from my personal experience. Of course, my interview with Kai took place at a local coffee shop. My two-hour interview with Kai ranged from talking specifically about his coffee shop sessions to discussing upcoming travel plans to our unique philosophies on what photography means to us, as well as touching on more deeply personal themes such as grief and impending loss that I knew I was in for. about to experience.
Kai is right. We are all going through the same things and we can find comfort and connection in that. Even though I usually hate being in front of the camera, when it’s time to take photos, I feel comfortable and at ease. When I look at the finished photos, I feel like I’m meeting myself for the first time. There is a flaw in the images that I often try to hide. As I mentioned, at the time these photos were taken, I knew that I would soon experience the loss of someone close to me, and I can see a glimpse of that sadness on my face in the photos. This picture. They have honesty and depth.
These coffee shop meetings have become something Kai looks forward to every week. With a goal of 100 coffee shop sessions, he is now just five or six minutes away from making it happen, with his own portrait being the 100th and final image in the series. His hope is to turn the series into a book or gallery show at some point in the future.
Kai photographed these sessions using a variety of cameras. The majority of the photographs were taken on black-and-white film using a Rolleicord III from 1953. His favorite black-and-white film stock was Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak T-Max 400And Rollei Superpan 200.
For color film photography, he uses a Pentax 67 with Fuji Pro 400H or Kodak Aerocolor 100. And then he always incorporates a few digital images as well.
He shoots more black and white film than color and processes all the film himself as there are often delays of a week or two when sending your film for processing. He likes to shoot something and develop the film while the set and shooting techniques are still fresh in his mind so he can analyze and make adjustments for future shots.
Kai has a unique system for processing his films. Instead of using a developing chart to develop his black-and-white film, he used a technique called stand developing. Rack developing is a method of developing photographic film that involves the use of a highly diluted developer solution and extended developing times. During independent development, the membrane is immersed in a developer solution for an extended period of time, often with no or minimal agitation. Kai uses the rack developing technique because it requires less hands-on attention and allows him to develop multiple rolls of black and white film at once from different film stocks. For Kai, scanning and developing film is a reward for his efforts.
Watch the YouTube video for the full interview with Kai, and to see more work from his Coffee Shop Series, follow him at @kai_analog.
Image used with permission of Kai Eason.
